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MS54 Booker T. Washington Middle School in NYC is a top middle school in Manhattan with a strong honors program for selected applicants. The school serves approximately eight hundred students from sixth through eighth grade and sends alumni to excellent high schools across New York City. The following details will help students decide whether Booker T. Washington Middle School in NYC might be a good fit and how they can apply.

MS54 Booker T. Washington Middle School NYC | School Overview

MS54 Booker T. Washington is a strong and rigorous school serving students on the Upper West Side. The school is known for its academics and honor programs, as MS54 includes separate Delta tracks for students who are excelling. For students who are developed in math, humanities, and science, the Delta honors section offer challenging courses and an accelerated curriculum. Applicants in sixth grade are screened for admission to both the school itself and the Delta program.

After joining MS54, students can look forward to participating in three years of engaging classes. Students take three years of grammar, science, and all the required courses for middle school graduation. MS54 runs an early morning math clinic to brush up on skills or move ahead, and many students participate in the clinic each year. In science, students move from working carefully on a supervised research project for the science fair to independently conducting their own research and presenting in eight grade. Similarly, students in math and humanities may begin taking high school-level math courses after completing all their middle school requirements.

Outside of the core curriculum, students also rotate through Spanish, French, and Latin, before choosing to continue one of these languages or to switch to Mandarin for seventh and eighth grade. Arts education includes band, string instruments, and chorus, and they may choose which elective to focus on for seventh and eighth grade.

Visit the MS54 site for more information about the school.

MS54 Booker T. Washington | Admissions Information

In order to attend MS54, students must apply for middle school admissions (and to be considered as part of the Delta program). To attend MS54, students need to live in District Three, or attend a public elementary school in District Three, and meet several other criteria.

If the location requirement is met, students then may rank MS54 as first or second choice for their middle school application. The school suggests that students who want to attend Booker T. Washington Middle School rank the school as their first choice. Students who rank the school as their second and third choice will be considered -- and invited to take the entrance exam --but will not be given as high a priority as students who rank MS 54 Booker T Washington as their first choice.

Following this application, current fifth graders will sit for the Booker T Washington admissions test in the winter (generally February) of each year. Using the results of this exam and the rest of a student’s application package, MS54 will rank applicants as follows:

55% academics and entrance exam

Up to 80 points for the Booker T admissions test

Up to 20 points for the fifth grade report card to date (through the first half of year)

Up to 10 points for teacher recommendations on the middle school application

45% standardized tests

Up to 90 points for fourth grade ELA and math standardized exams

After ranking all the applicants using these requirements, MS54 will select approximately three hundred students for the following school year, and these candidates will start as new sixth graders in the fall. Those who are selected for Delta track honors courses will receive additional information and background ahead of the first day at school.

Students can attend tours of MS54 on several dates in October and November. For more information on the admissions process and for tour dates, visit the admissions information page for MS54.

MS54 Booker T. Washington Middle School NYC | How to Prepare

As students can see from the admissions criteria, academic history and good performance on the entrance exam are both essential for joining MS54 as a sixth grader. Getting top scores on end of year exams will be important for current fourth grade students who may want to attend MS54, while current fifth grade students need to ensure their report cards accurately reflect their performance to date. Attendance and punctuality as shown on the report card will be considered as well as grades and teacher comments.

Another component is the teacher recommendation on the middle school application – students may want to approach a favorite teacher for a thoughtful evaluation, because this information will be considered for admittance.

Finally, the Booker T entrance exam makes up the remainder of the admissions rubric. Students should expect to sit for an exam similar to their year-end tests, with questions on math and reading comprehension. The exam is a general diagnostic for academic ability, and combined with academic history, it allows MS54 to draw a group of high performing students from the Upper West Side. This diagnostic also helps MS54 sort students into the Delta honors track for math, science, or humanities, or into the traditional MS54 Booker T. Washington curriculum. Now is the time to brush up on any weak areas before the February test! Discover more information about the content and format of the MS54 Honors admissions test.

At Origins Tutoring, we believe that preparation for the MS54 admissions assessment does not have to be daunting and exasperating; instead, it can represent an important opportunity along a student’s path to learning mastery. Indeed, the perspectives and abilities acquired during preparation can last a lifetime.

Our two-track approach to mastering content and improving test-taking skills means that students will not only thoroughly understand the fundamental concepts and skills tested by the Booker T admissions test, but they will also excel in using essential techniques to improve attitude, endurance and focus.

Our students hone their independent thinking skills while developing a resilient mindset so they can perform on test day in a powerful, resourceful, creative and calm manner. Each student in our program receives the undivided attention and expertise of a dynamic and experienced coach who provides the framework to support each student on his unique path to becoming a master learner.

Please call 917.287.7927 now for a complimentary consultation to discuss how we can help your child achieve his or her personal best on the end of year State-wide ELA and math exams, as well as the Booker T admissions exam.

The admissions test for the New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math has a different format compared to the more familiar 'state-wide' format of many other middle school entrance exams, so it makes sense to get to know the format and content of the NEST+m test if you are also interested in this school.

| Origins Tutoring

We prepare students for the milestones and assessments of their academic lives. We support students in developing the skills to think, learn and problem solve on their own. Our services include academic tutoring and test preparation for all standardized tests, including the ISEE, ACT and SAT.